Update

I have had some "extra" time on my hands this week and have made great progress on the railroad! The mainline is complete now from Walnut East to the staging yard (Mendota). I have figured out the track configuration for Prophetstown and I am now ready to complete that portion as well. My plan was to have all the trackwork done this weekend... however, I have run into a small glitch- I am out of rail joiners! I went to a local source today and they are out! So the "Golden Spike" ceremony will have to wait until next week after I have had a chance to pick-up additional rail joiners... I am still shaking my head.

The track layout for Prophetstown is now going to be more prototypical to what actually existed there in about 1940 or so. I have used the Sanborn Insurance maps to attempt to replicate the track layout and position of the local industries, including the Eclipse Lawn Mower Co. According to the Sanborn map, this company actually existed. I need to do some more research on that... not necessarily railroad related, but just an interesting piece of history. Okay, I couldn't resist... I Googled it and got a lot of links... but this one actually shows the factory! What a find!

http://genealogytrails.com/ill/whiteside/cityprophetstownbusiness.html

I have also modified the trackplan to show industries that were present in the towns I am modeling, ie Eclipse Lawn Mower Co. I hope to post that very soon, along with another line diagram showing the updates.

That's it for now!
Scott